The internet is the main source of news and information for growing numbers of people. Mainstream media news organizations, niche news outlets, and alternative viewpoint news sources all maintain news content on websites. In addition to news, the internet has fostered the growth and popularity of “web logs” or “blogs” run by “bloggers” as sources of news and information.
One problem with the internet as a source of news and information is that it is difficult for news organizations or bloggers to generate revenue. Popular sites can attract paying advertisers, but in the current internet environment the sheer number of websites offering news and information makes the pool of advertising dollars insufficient to bring in satisfying revenue for many. Additionally, some websites or blogs have very loyal, but very limited readership, so that the size of the reading audience makes the website unattractive to advertisers or otherwise monetize their efforts.
There is a continuing unmet need for a method for internet content providers, such as organizations with websites, individuals or groups with blogs, and syndicated news organizations to generate revenue, or additional revenue, for the content provided to the public.
Many websites provide news and information content with a provision for the reader to leave comments. For example, a news story can include a place, usually at the end of the article, for the user to post his or her comments. Sometimes the user must first register, but other times the user simply leaves a comment pursuant to the instructions given. Likewise, many blogs provide the opportunity for readers to comment. Again, the person commenting may have to first register, but not always. Sometimes comments are moderated, which means they can be first checked for content before posting publicly on the website.
Popular or controversial news stories or blog entries can generate many hundreds of comments. Comments are usually posted in chronological order, and can be ranked or emailed by readers. Sometimes comments are posted in non-chronological order, such as by “most popular” or “most emailed”. Sometimes the comment section is set up to allow comments on comments, with those readers submitting comments, i.e., commenters, often generating a line of thought that can be independent of the original story.
A reader of a news story or blog often checks the comments, but may not read down more than a few comments, and may read only the first and last comments. Many comments go unread for lack of visibility, that is, they are in essence “buried” in the multitude of other comments. Many readers and commenters (i.e., readers who leave comments) alike can find the lack of attention to particular comments to be frustrating. For example, a reader who wishes to leave what the reader perceives to be a particularly salient comment may be frustrated by the knowledge that her comment might be in the middle of hundreds of others, thereby making it highly unlikely to be read by anyone.
There is a continuing unmet need for a way to permit commenters on news stories or blog entries to get their comments noticed.
Often internet content providers offer readers the opportunity to purchase goods or services. Various methodologies and systems are currently known and used to effect commerce via electronic means such as the internet. Because of security concerns, known services require user names and passwords, or the entry of personal information such as credit card data each time a financial transaction is made, making transactions cumbersome for readers. For example, it is believed that the popular online system PAYPAL® requires users, in addition to an initial registration, to enter a user name and password upon each use of the its service. For occasional users this is a hindrance to quickly transacting business, and for low-cost goods or services, the hindrance can be prohibitively high, keeping some users from completing a transaction. Other services, such as APPLE® computer's popular iTunes® music are believed to utilize the so-called “one-click” technology pioneered by Amazon.com, which is believed to map a server-assigned client identifier to a purchaser, which thereafter permits purchase completion based on purchaser-specific information already stored at the server system. However, it is believed that current “one-click” technology nevertheless requires the user to log on with a user name and password if the user is not using a computer having a file called a “cookie” in which is the assigned client identifier. And, it is believed, even when the user is on a computer having a sufficient file having the required cookie, the user is nevertheless required to enter a password prior to completing a purchase of goods or services from the internet content provider.
There is a continuing unmet need for an easy, quick, and relatively secure, i.e., relatively low risk, methodology for effecting electronic commerce utilizing the internet.